What a shock to learn that Carol is no longer with us. I last saw her when she and her husband were park rangers at Half Moon Bay. She was still playing the cello in the local area then. I remember her as a warm and gentle person with a wonderful laugh. She lived a few blocks from me, so I knew her even before our Lowell days. I really miss her.
8/8/2003 | B/W | 5star | 4p11 mug | a21 | Metro | rich-7067 | nelson
Mrs. Nelson died in Sacramento on July 24 at age 52. Her family said the cause was cancer related.A memorial service will be held Aug. 24 for Carol A. Nelson, who diversified the California State Parks system's appearance and approach with a combination of dignity, grace and commitment.
Born in San Francisco, Mrs. Nelson long thought she would become a professional cellist, earning a music degree from San Francisco State University and doing a stint with jazz musician John Handy at San Francisco's Keystone Korner.
Unable to find a teaching job after graduating, Mrs. Nelson instead took a job as a seasonal park employee on Alcatraz, beginning a professional relationship with government parks that lasted until shortly before her death.
In 1975, Mrs. Nelson became the state's first female African American ranger, working in state parks in Marin County and later on the San Mateo County coast, checking camps, patrolling on horseback and enforcing park rules.
It was a highly unusual position in a department with so few women that it still had job titles such as "Park Maintenance Man One," said Ron Brean, the department's deputy director for administration.
"Not only was she entering a world that had been dominated by men, but she also was coming into an organization that was pretty white," he said. "People were looking askance, like can this work? Can a woman really do this kind of work? And a black woman at that, whose experience was in an urban environment in San Francisco. That was like two strikes against her."
When challenges arose, Mrs. Nelson would respond with grace, humor and professionalism, Brean said. She accepted that some people weren't prepared to deal with diversity without confrontation, but also without backing down.
"She would deal with it in a very straightforward, professional manner," he said. "And make us think about it."
Mrs. Nelson had her own escape from the pressures of work, Brean and other friends said: playing the cello, which she continued to do throughout her life.
Mrs. Nelson achieved another first in 1982, when she took over management of Candlestick State Recreation Area, becoming both the first woman and the first African American to be named a state parks field superintendent.
At Candlestick, and throughout her career, Mrs. Nelson worked hard to expand access to parks facilities and programs. She helped develop the San Francisco Youth Enrichment Task Force -- better known as "Willie's Kids" -- in 1988, according to parks officials, exposing inner-city children to parks and cultural experiences.
Later in her career, Mrs. Nelson created the state FamCamp program, helping community organizations bring camping equipment and experience to people who otherwise would never have experienced them. Last year, about 2,500 people participated in 100 FamCamp outings, according to park officials.
"She set up a situation where primarily urban folks who had not had the opportunity . . . people like her, when you think about it . . . (had) an opportunity to get out in the parks and see what that's all about," Brean said.
In 2000, Mrs. Nelson advanced to field services chief in Sacramento, a position she retained until her health forced her to retire earlier this year. Mayor Willie Brown declared May 16, the day of her retirement party, "Carol A. Nelson Day" in San Francisco, said Mrs. Nelson's longtime friend, Donna Pozzi, chief of interpretation and education for the state parks system.
"She would have loved to have still been working. We all wish she was still here," Pozzi said. "But a lot of us just knew she needed to spend her time on her health."
Mrs. Nelson is survived by her husband, retired Park Ranger Roger Nelson of Sacramento, her sister, June Miller of Sacramento, and her daughter, Corinne Nelson, 21 -- a state parks employee at the Governor's Mansion in California.
Corinne Nelson said her career path was a natural extension of growing up in parks offices in San Francisco and San Mateo County with a mother who loved her work and encouraged her daughter to follow.
"She was fantastic. Always, always supportive, encouraging," she said. "She was always an inspiration to me. And she still is."
A memorial service for Carol Nelson will be held Aug. 24 from 7 p.m. to 9 p. m. at the Clunie Community Center at McKinley Park, 601 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento.
The Carol Nelson Memorial Fund, established in her memory, is administered by the California State Parks Foundation, which funds the FamCamp program.
Contributions may be made to the California State Parks Foundation, P.O. Box 548, Kentfield, CA 94914, Attention: Carol Nelson Memorial Fund.
Fred Nikolaus Beckmann (1968)
What a shock to learn that Carol is no longer with us. I last saw her when she and her husband were park rangers at Half Moon Bay. She was still playing the cello in the local area then. I remember her as a warm and gentle person with a wonderful laugh. She lived a few blocks from me, so I knew her even before our Lowell days. I really miss her.
Raoul Gruenberg (1969)
Carol Nelson -- first black female ranger
Matthew B. Stannard, Chronicle Staff Writer
PublishedMrs. Nelson died in Sacramento on July 24 at age 52. Her family said the cause was cancer related.A memorial service will be held Aug. 24 for Carol A. Nelson, who diversified the California State Parks system's appearance and approach with a combination of dignity, grace and commitment.
Born in San Francisco, Mrs. Nelson long thought she would become a professional cellist, earning a music degree from San Francisco State University and doing a stint with jazz musician John Handy at San Francisco's Keystone Korner.
Unable to find a teaching job after graduating, Mrs. Nelson instead took a job as a seasonal park employee on Alcatraz, beginning a professional relationship with government parks that lasted until shortly before her death.
In 1975, Mrs. Nelson became the state's first female African American ranger, working in state parks in Marin County and later on the San Mateo County coast, checking camps, patrolling on horseback and enforcing park rules.
It was a highly unusual position in a department with so few women that it still had job titles such as "Park Maintenance Man One," said Ron Brean, the department's deputy director for administration.
"Not only was she entering a world that had been dominated by men, but she also was coming into an organization that was pretty white," he said. "People were looking askance, like can this work? Can a woman really do this kind of work? And a black woman at that, whose experience was in an urban environment in San Francisco. That was like two strikes against her."
"She would deal with it in a very straightforward, professional manner," he said. "And make us think about it."
Mrs. Nelson had her own escape from the pressures of work, Brean and other friends said: playing the cello, which she continued to do throughout her life.
Mrs. Nelson achieved another first in 1982, when she took over management of Candlestick State Recreation Area, becoming both the first woman and the first African American to be named a state parks field superintendent.
At Candlestick, and throughout her career, Mrs. Nelson worked hard to expand access to parks facilities and programs. She helped develop the San Francisco Youth Enrichment Task Force -- better known as "Willie's Kids" -- in 1988, according to parks officials, exposing inner-city children to parks and cultural experiences.
Later in her career, Mrs. Nelson created the state FamCamp program, helping community organizations bring camping equipment and experience to people who otherwise would never have experienced them. Last year, about 2,500 people participated in 100 FamCamp outings, according to park officials.
"She set up a situation where primarily urban folks who had not had the opportunity . . . people like her, when you think about it . . . (had) an opportunity to get out in the parks and see what that's all about," Brean said.
In 2000, Mrs. Nelson advanced to field services chief in Sacramento, a position she retained until her health forced her to retire earlier this year. Mayor Willie Brown declared May 16, the day of her retirement party, "Carol A. Nelson Day" in San Francisco, said Mrs. Nelson's longtime friend, Donna Pozzi, chief of interpretation and education for the state parks system.
"She would have loved to have still been working. We all wish she was still here," Pozzi said. "But a lot of us just knew she needed to spend her time on her health."
Mrs. Nelson is survived by her husband, retired Park Ranger Roger Nelson of Sacramento, her sister, June Miller of Sacramento, and her daughter, Corinne Nelson, 21 -- a state parks employee at the Governor's Mansion in California.
Corinne Nelson said her career path was a natural extension of growing up in parks offices in San Francisco and San Mateo County with a mother who loved her work and encouraged her daughter to follow.
"She was fantastic. Always, always supportive, encouraging," she said. "She was always an inspiration to me. And she still is."
A memorial service for Carol Nelson will be held Aug. 24 from 7 p.m. to 9 p. m. at the Clunie Community Center at McKinley Park, 601 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento.
The Carol Nelson Memorial Fund, established in her memory, is administered by the California State Parks Foundation, which funds the FamCamp program.
Contributions may be made to the California State Parks Foundation, P.O. Box 548, Kentfield, CA 94914, Attention: Carol Nelson Memorial Fund.
Margaret Alice Kerr (Burke) (1969)
Carol & I became good friends through our music! She was an excellent cellist!. all thru Francis Scott Key, Giannini, and Lowell.